JAMIE AND JESSIE gets a review

Back in March I was in Chicago for some overdubbing of vocals (not mine, thankfully) on Wendy Jo Carlton's JAMIE AND JESSIE ARE NOT TOGETHER. Obviously, a film that far into post is going to be seen sooner rather than later.

Sure enough, the reviews are starting to come in. Danielle Riendeau (@Danielleri) saw the film recently and wrote a review at Afterellen.com. Here's part of it:

Jamie and Jessie are Not Together is one of the funniest, most original lesbian films of the year. With an attractive, likeable cast of characters, snappy, believable dialogue and two phenomenal leads, it’s a summery blast of fresh air.

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Throughout, the movie retains an assured, comfortable pace and a wicked sense of humor. The awkwardness of being in love with a best friend, blind dating, even getting drunk at a party and saying things you shouldn’t – all of it is staged beautifully and executed with perfect timing. The dialogue and settings are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, and the cast is talented, attractive, and instantly likeable. These are people you believe immediately and want to hang around with.

Director Wendy Jo Carlton (Hannah Free) could not have asked for better leads. London-Shields is effervescent – by turns mopey (she is in unrequited love, after all), hilariously awkward, and ultimately loveable. Jackson’s Jamie is charming, effortlessly sexy, and incredibly sweet. Together, the women have a chemistry that is powerful and fluid – no matter what’s going on in the scene, there’s undeniable electricity between them.

Awesome.

Wendy Jo, back in March:




Filmmaker Lucas McNelly is spending a year on the road, volunteering on indie film projects around the country, documenting the process and the exploring the idea of a mobile creative professional. You can see more from A Year Without Rent at the webpage. His feature-length debut is now available to rent on VOD. Follow him on Twitter: @lmcnelly.

Project follow-up

Earlier this year (don't ask me when), I worked a day on a lesbian musical, maybe you remember, maybe you don't.



Anyway, the film has been invited to premiere at the Frameline International Film Festival in San Francisco and they're raising money over at Indiegogo. So...check it out.



Filmmaker Lucas McNelly is spending a year on the road, volunteering on indie film projects around the country, documenting the process and the exploring the idea of a mobile creative professional. You can see more from A Year Without Rent at the webpage. Follow him on Twitter: @lmcnelly.

Wendy Jo Carlton's JAMIE AND JESSIE ARE NOT TOGETHER

Wendy Jo Carlton's JAMIE AND JESSIE ARE NOT TOGETHER is one of those films that I really wish was filming during A Year Without Rent, mostly because I think it would be fascinating to work on a musical. Or, as Wendy Jo calls it, "a film with musical numbers". Either way, I think the process of the musical would be interesting from a production standpoint. [Similarly, it would have been a lot of fun to work on Gary King's musical].

So, when Wendy Jo suggested I come by while they were recording some music, I figured that was more or less the next best thing. Which is how I'm walking around Chicago, trying to find a recording studio. Could I drive? Sure, but I'm getting to the point where I'm not exactly looking forward to being in my car any more than I have to.

And, as usual, I have no idea where I am.



JAMIE AND JESSICA is most easily described as a "lesbian musical" (or, "lesbian film with musical numbers") and essentially what we're doing here today is overlaying some vocals over musical numbers. Think of ADR, but with singing.



Beyond that, I don't really know what's going on. I haven't read the script. I haven't even seen any footage other than what's available online. Really, my role here is "photographer". Easy enough. I can do that.



After a while, a gay couple that functions as the film's Greek Chorus comes in to add their parts. Neither are actors (or singers), but they both have pretty fantastic beards, which I suspect is how they ended up in the movie. Sure enough, they're friends of Wendy Jo. But, hey, if you need a Greek Chorus for your film, of course you're going to ask your friends with fantastic beards. That's how these things work.



And so they attempt to record their audio.

You know that scene in AMERICAN MOVIE where Mark is trying to get Bill to record ADR? It's kind of like that, only with 10 takes instead of 50. The real shame of it all is that the isolation booth for dialogue/singing is way too small to get a camera in there. Believe me, I tried.



Check out the trailer, over on YouTube.





Filmmaker Lucas McNelly is spending a year on the road, volunteering on indie film projects around the country, documenting the process and the exploring the idea of a mobile creative professional. You can see more from A Year Without Rent at the webpage. Follow him on Twitter: @lmcnelly.

La La La

Recording music for a lesbian musical. Luckily for everyone, they didn't ask me to sing.